Risk of dysphonia in voice professionals of the University of São Paulo: multiprofessional epidemiological study

• Grant number: 19/14356-8
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: March 01, 2022
• End date: February 28, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Speech Therapy
• Principal Investigator: Nair Katia Nemr
• Grantee: Nair Katia Nemr
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina (FM). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Fábio Jacob ; Marcia Simões Zenari ; Maura Catafesta das Neves

Abstract

In the context of health promotion with professional voice user, epidemiological researches make it possible screening the risk of dysphonia and to establish specific strategies that involve referral to laryngological examination, medical conduct, and / or speech therapy, and/or vocal guidance. The association of a screening instrument with quantitative and qualitative data and vocal and laryngological evaluation allows the investigation to be detailed. In this sense, voice researches with multiprofessional involvement are desirable to enable a more assertive design of the actions and the constant evaluation of its effectiveness. Goal. To evaluate the risk of dysphonia in voice professionals in a university environment, to verify the presence of dysphonia and / or laryngological alterations, and to propose joint actions between speech therapy and otorhinolaryngology for the different groups (low / high risk, with / without dysphonia, with / without laryngeal changes). Method. Epidemiological study in a universe of over a thousand professionals, non-teaching staff of the University of São Paulo, capital campus with all who accept to participate, regardless of age, gender and time of activity in the function. Procedures - Step I: The invitation will be sent in the institutional email where there will be instructions, the TCLE and an access link to open and complete the General Dysphonia Risk Screening Protocol (Nemr et al., 2016, 2018). Step II. Subsequently, each participant will be invited to perform a voice recording for perceptual-auditory-visual e acoustic evaluation. StepIII. All those who are at high risk and / or dysphonia will be referred to nasofibrolaringoscopy with stroboscopy and, if necessary, will be referred for medical follow and / or speech therapy. The participants will be divided into diferents groups according to presence of low / high risk of dysphonia, presence / absence of dysphonia, and presence / absence of laryngological alterations for the epidemiological study of this population. Multiprofessional actions involving speech therapy and otorhinolaryngology will be proposed. The data will be analyzed in descriptive form and with application of statistical tests to be defined, considering in these cases p value less or equal to 5%. (AU)